The emperor exchanged a queen ,2 rooks, and two bishops for a pawn. Won't win too many games that way.


One question we have is: How many Americans lost their lives in the pursuit and capture of these jihadists? How many Afghan and American deaths were they responsible for? How many more will die as the result of their release and their likely return to the battlefield?

Obama Swaps Taliban Terrorists For Possible Deserter Bowe Bergdahl - Investors.com (http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/060214-703053-gitmo-taliban-prisoner-swap-bowe-bergdahl.htm)

and make it even better ; soldiers that have served with Bergdahl state this guy was no hero and was a deserter. It is further said that up to five soldiers died looking for him after he deserted.

Remember ,this was the "good war " to candidate Obama ,the one worthy of winning . The one he ordered the temporary date sensitive surge for .


Well at least this wag the dog got the VA scandal off the headlines.

Im still waiting for the rest of the story but right now it doesnt look good. I dont beleive that a 5 for 1 exchange is any good at any time. Now lets see just how this plays out.

Here's more to the story, senate republicans have been calling for his return for quite a while.

http://www.ayotte.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1244

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl; America's Only Known POW In Afghanistan | For God's Glory Alone Ministries (http://www.fggam.org/sgt-bowe-bergdahl-americas-only-known-pow-in-afghanistan/)


For a nation that is normally so reverent toward servicemen, the U.S. has been shockingly willing to forget about Bergdahl's plight, and seems loathe to make a public attempt to negotiate for him, even when the other side is making it clear they want to negotiate. The unspoken scandal behind all of this is that the U.S. had offered to unilaterally release the five detainees from Guantanamo Bay in March of 2012 simply as a “confidence builder” for prospective peace talks. Before that release could be finalized, a U.S. soldier killed 16 civilians in Kandahar and the 2012 talks, along with any “confidence builders” were scrapped.

GOP Urged White House To 'Do All It Can' To Get Bowe Bergdahl (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/03/bowe-bergdahl-release_n_5439644.html)


In April, Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), along with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), introduced a resolution "to express the sense of the Senate that no member (http://www.toomey.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=985) of the armed forces who is missing in action or captured should be left behind.".............He also said that members of the Intelligence Committee, on which he serves, were constantly updated on Bergdahl's whereabouts."There wasn't a week that went by that we didn't get a briefing," he added.
John Bellinger, who served as a national security adviser to President George W. Bush, said in a Fox News interview Tuesday that he believed Obama did the right thing in its recovery of Bergdahl. He noted that because the war in Afghanistan is winding down -- U.S. troops will be out by the end of 2016 -- the administration would have had to release the five detainees soon anyway (http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/03/3444366/former-bush-official-blasts-gop-bush-would-have-agreed-to-bergdahl-swap/).

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/03/3444366/former-bush-official-blasts-gop-bush-would-have-agreed-to-bergdahl-swap/

You exchange a soldier who has been held by the Taliban for five Taliban who have been out of the action for ten years and whinge about it. You cannnot hold people indefinately just because they are political prisoners. This way you might get some recent intelligence and if he was a deserter prosecute him

For a nation that is normally so reverent toward servicemen, the U.S. has been shockingly willing to forget about Bergdahl’s plight, and seems loathe to make a public attempt to negotiate for him, even when the other side is making it clear they want to negotiate. 5 field generals for a ( AWOL an probably a deserter )Sergeant is what you call a successful negotiation ?


The unspoken scandal behind all of this is that the U.S. had offered to unilaterally release the five detainees from Guantanamo Bay in March of 2012 simply as a “confidence builder” for prospective peace talks.
I guess the Snoopy dance by the Adm over the weekend is because they got any exchange for the worse of the worse Taliban prisoners at Gitmo.
The Taliban has always made it a precondition for "peace talks "that these 5 high valued detainees (2 of them wanted by UN for mass murder war crimes ) be released. Think the emperor will now get his peace talks ? Good luck with that . All the Taliban has to do is run out the clock before the emperor has us leaving with our tails between our legs.

That's not what republicans were saying earlier this year, NOBODY was.

. All the Taliban has to do is run out the clock before the emperor has us leaving with our tails between our legs.

don't worry Tom you have a long history of leaving with your tail between you legs, when was it you had a military victory, Oh I remember, WWII and you had allied help then. Get used to it, you cannot fight an entire population, the days of projecting power and ideology have gone

That's not what republicans were saying earlier this year, NOBODY was.

I don't care what Republicans say . That is your final defense. Surprised you didn't blame Bush yet.

don't worry Tom you have a long history of leaving with your tail between you legs, when was it you had a military victory, Oh I remember, WWII and you had allied help then. Get used to it, you cannot fight an entire population, the days of projecting power and ideology have gone

We had plenty of ally "help" in the AfPakia war.

Yes and some of your allies were successful in achieving their objectives, but you and I both know that in that style of war the best you can hope for is a negotiated peace, but there was no AfPakia war, Pakistan was your ally in a fight against an insurgency after you destabilised Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan.

You just don't seem to understand that you are not welcome and when you leave the region will "normalise", The pakistani's will deal with their own problems in their own way and so will the aghani. These people have lost a generation in this fight and they have much to gain by settling down

By settling down you mean the Taliban insurgency ;with their senior commanders back in play ;will take down the elected government and install their brutal brand of radical Sharia law.

That was going to happen Tom, with or without those old leaders, and with or without American boots on the ground. Our war is over, theirs may be just beginning, as in the rest of the middle east. Rent the Afghans some drones (or guns whatever) and keep our kids home.

Yes I do have nieces and nephews involved, and would rather they be here, than there. How about you?

Tom we are a long way on from when those guys ran things, don't you think those in charge today might have some views, it was suggested one even cooperated, and let's face it they are survelliance targets and may even lead to Omar. Let the Afghans settle it from here, they are in a much better situation than they were in 2001 when the taliban was kicking their backside. I think it is time you got some perspective, no foriegn power has won a war in Afghanistan for a long, long, time. You only fight the battles you can win, you know art of war and all that. You have taken down Al Qaeda in Afghanistan they were your enemy, and you unseated the Taliban. Quit while you are ahead and prepare yourself to take on other enemies. Beating a ragtag force of Afghans is only ego anyway, your pride is hurt, lot of it going around

declare victory and walk away ? Ah if only it was that simple. It takes at least 2 sides to decide if a war is over . Take Syria for example. Jihadists are pouring into the country to get training and fight . Then they go back home and continue jihad there . You think this "war " is localized to Afghanistan . I see it as global with Afghanistan being just one place to be contested.

But the emperor admitted that the jihadists released will go back to terrorism ;and even though some of them are wanted by the so called "international community " he pretends to support ,he released them anyway.

This was a bad idea. You know it and I know it . Yet ,not only does he do it anyway ;but he prances around ,spiking the football as if he's achieved something great .

That was going to happen Tom, with or without those old leaders, and with or without American boots on the ground. Our war is over, theirs may be just beginning, as in the rest of the middle east. Rent the Afghans some drones (or guns whatever) and keep our kids home.

Yes I do have nieces and nephews involved, and would rather they be here, than there. How about you?

Yeah and South Korea would fall to the NORKS with or without a US presence ;right ? Maybe we should've walked away from Japan and Germany after WWII also and left the whole continent to the Soviets ;after all it was a matter of self determination. It's because we shed blood and treasure there that we shouldn't just walk away and let jihadistan win there . It is because we lost blood and treasure on 9-11-01 when bin Laden used Afghansitan as a base of operations with the Taliban approval that we should guarantee they NEVER rule the country again.

btw ;here is a NY Slimes account confirming that Berghdal is a deserter .

Sometime after midnight on June 30, 2009, Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl left behind a note in his tent saying he had become disillusioned with the Army, did not support the American mission in Afghanistan and was leaving to start a new life. He slipped off the remote military outpost in Paktika Province on the border with Pakistan and took with him a soft backpack, water, knives, a notebook and writing materials, but left behind his body armor and weapons — startling, given the hostile environment around his outpost.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/us/us-soldier-srgt-bowe-bergdahl-of-idaho-pow-vanished-angered-his-unit.html

Not even most of the liberals are giving the deserter scumbag a free pass on what he did. I seriously hope he is charged, tried and convicted of desertion on the combat field... and gets the firing squad. Problem is...if its done in the next year and a half....Obama will give him a pardon...exactly what he effectively has done to the five terrorists he released against the law.

That's not what republicans were saying earlier this year, NOBODY was.

Here is what the top ranking Dem on the House Intelligence committee said about the exchange.

Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, calls this a “dangerous precedent that puts all Americans at risk throughout the world.”
Ruppersberger Calls Taliban Prisoner Exchange 'A Dangerous Precedent' « CBS Baltimore (http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/06/03/ruppersberger-call-taliban-prisoner-exchange-a-dangerous-precedent/)

Here is what the top ranking Dem on the House Intelligence committee said about the exchange.

Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, calls this a “dangerous precedent that puts all Americans at risk throughout the world.”
Ruppersberger Calls Taliban Prisoner Exchange 'A Dangerous Precedent' « CBS Baltimore (http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/06/03/ruppersberger-call-taliban-prisoner-exchange-a-dangerous-precedent/)


I don't care what Republicans say

I know you don't suddenly care what democrats say either... don't blame ya!!

You know as well as I do, the whole hollering match can changed in the next 6 months like it has in the last 6 months.

I don't see why you don't see this as part of Obama fulfilling his promises, he can't shut Gitmo while there are prisoners there and he can't hold people indefinately without trial. These guys were out of play for a long time and the Taliban was still kicking butt, what difference do five more make?

There has to be a way to normalise the position in Aghanistan and that won't happen whileever there are prisoners like these. What do you think Obama should have done with them, handed them over to the Afghans to be executed?

What do you think Obama
should have done with them, handed them over to the Afghans to be executed?


at least 2 of them(Mullah Mohammad Fazl and Mullah Norullah Noori) should be locked up in the Hague awaiting trial by the "international community ".They are both wanted by the UN.

Mullah Khairullah Said Wali Khairkhwa is one of Mullah Omar's closest confidants and aides . He was governor of Afghanistan's western Herat province before capture . So let's stop the bs that they were not high valued prisoners who will not be important parts of the Taliban command structure shortly.

don't see why you don't see this as part of Obama fulfilling his promises, he can't shut Gitmo while there are prisoners there and he can't hold people indefinately without trial.

lol the existence of GITMO was ONLY an issue when Bush was President . Since the beginning of the emperor's reign ,the compliant press has been mute. If he wants to shut it down then why doesn't he ?He can issue one of them executive orders he loves so much . Heck this prisoner swap was in complete violation of the law and we barely hear a protest . He did make a token apology to some of his Senate partners for the obvious violation of the law and usurpation of Congressional power . But that is as far as he'll go .
As far as trials .... he could have the trials any time he wants to have them . GITMO is equipped with a state of the art secured court house.

Tom you forget those prisoners can't be transferred to the US otherwise they might acquire rights to due process so in order to shut the place they have to go somewhere. You say give them to the Hague but your country doesn't recognise the jurisdiction of that court. Your kangaroo courts haven't executed them so give them back, They have gone to Qatar, who no doubt have an interest in keeping you onside so as I said before you may yet get Omar out of it. What you are saying is just sour grapes, if the Taliban captured some of your luminaries, let's say Kerry or McCain wouldn't you want them back.

In reality you have forgotten what the war on terror is about and have made this a war on Islam. You can't beat an idea with a gun Tom you should have learned that by now, but then in a nation which sees the gun as a solution to everything, I guess not. Besides this gives you the opportunity for a show trial of a sometime defecter

Tom you forget those prisoners can't be transferred to the US otherwise they might acquire rights to due process so in order to shut the place they have to go somewhere. You say give them to the Hague but your country doesn't recognise the jurisdiction of that court. Your kangaroo courts haven't executed them so give them back, They have gone to Qatar, who no doubt have an interest in keeping you onside so as I said before you may yet get Omar out of it. What you are saying is just sour grapes, if the Taliban captured some of your luminaries, let's say Kerry or McCain wouldn't you want them back.

In reality you have forgotten what the war on terror is about and have made this a war on Islam. You can't beat an idea with a gun Tom you should have learned that by now, but then in a nation which sees the gun as a solution to everything, I guess not. Besides this gives you the opportunity for a show trial of a sometime defecter

it never was a war against terrorism . Terrorism is a tactic ;not a nation ,not an ideology . The war was always against radical Islam(or as I call it ,Jihadistan) ,and the nations that harbor and support jihadists .
If one of our "luminaries " were captured ,I wouldn't expect 5 of them to be traded for a battle field soldier .
AND what you are doing is elevating the Taliban to the status of legitimate national representatives worthy of negotiating at the highest levels of our government .
What happens now when narco-terrorists start grabbing Americans ? Do we empty our jails of Drug lords in exchange ?
You have no case here. This was foolishness borne of a White House full of amateurs .

I think most of us would pay to have them take John Kerry (or any other Obama appointed trained monkey) or McCain (who apparently has dementia these days)... we certainly wouldn't trade their top 5 guys for them.

since you mentioned it ...

46106

it never was a war against terrorism . Terrorism is a tactic ;not a nation ,not an ideology . The war was always against radical Islam(or as I call it ,Jihadistan) ,and the nations that harbor and support jihadists .
If one of our "luminaries " were captured ,I wouldn't expect 5 of them to be traded for a battle field soldier .
AND what you are doing is elevating the Taliban to the status of legitimate national representatives worthy of negotiating at the highest levels of our government .
What happens now when narco-terrorists start grabbing Americans ? Do we empty our jails of Drug lords in exchange ?
You have no case here. This was foolishness borne of a White House full of amateurs .

Have you listened to yourself, your illusterous leader Bush, him of the I can't put two words together fame, called it a War on Terror, he didn't specifically mention Islam.

I am not elevating the Taliban who were once the legitimate government of that benighted place, aided and abetted by you, a fact you conveniently forget, so they are entitled to negotiate with whoever, but it is your government who considers they are worth negotiating with, not me. I don't reward stupid/

As to kidnap, I hear that that is a national pasttime south of the border, so you have an option negotiate or begin your War on Terror in another place

Bush was being politically correct in calling it a 'war on terrorism' .

;and you have nothing linking the US in assisting the Taliban in taking over the nation. They were/are clients of the ISI and proxies of the Pakistani military . As I have mentioned many times ;the Paki's were setting up a client state in Afghanistan to counter India in Kashmir . When Bush said "you are either for us or against us " it was a not so subtle message to Musharraf . It worked in that he got a large segment of the Paki military to turn against the Taliban. But not all of the military ,or the ISI backed him .

I guess Clete hasn't heard Obama stuttering and stammering like a fool when he's not reading a script off a teleprompter...making a futile attempt to speak off the cuff.

He didn't stutter when he said he won't apologize for bringing home a captured US soldier. While republicans clamor to delete their prayers for him tweets like the hypocrites they are. They were for it before they were against it, even since this deal has been cooking since 2011.

All you constitution thumpers all of a sudden don't believe in innocent until proved guilty, or due process? You sure holler loud about YOUR rights though.

He handed over 5 Senoir Taliban commanders in exchange for one deserter who deserves to be executed for it.

He left a NOTE saying he was doing it... the Army Command knows he did it.. everyone in his unit knows he did it.. there is no question he did it.

I'm all for due process. That doesn't mean I defer opinion. I don't care if he's Audie Murphy . That exchange for him is dangerous ,ridiculous, and out of proportion ..AND leaves ALL Americans travelling overseas in danger . The fact that he is most likely at best a deserter ,and probably a traitor makes it even worse.

That the delusional emperor thought there would be some sorta "euphoria" (in the words of Chuck Todd) over this exchange shows how out of touch he is with the American people.

Tom don't get your knickers in a knot, this is simply a PR exercise, local boy brought home, we don't leave our people behind sort of thung, and if he proves to be a deserter, that's one more that didn't get away, a win-win situation.

Those Taliban commanders have been away a long time and probably under suspicion, They cannot leave Qatar for a year at least, but the opportunity to open a dialogue has been presented and that might mean much in the future. Your troops will be out before they get involved so not a big threat

They cannot leave Qatar for a year at least you really believe that ? Even if they can't they can be a tremendous influence in recruiting and leadership off the battlefield .
By your logic ,had we captured Reinhard Heydrich,Adolf Eichmann,Hermann Goering ,we should've exchanged them for a private gone AWOL . Nonsense . Once we were gone in 2016 ,then maybe we could talk about release (assuming that they aren't subject to some war crime tribunal ,which apparently at least 2 of them should be ). No sane nation releases top commanders of the enemy for a deserter .

I see the irony of Hess in this, you had him, he wasn't worth anything, and you didn't get anything for him. Now had you captured the Nazi high command it would have shortened the war. Who knows what effect depriving the Taliban of these men for ten years made and who knows what change their influence might make now, exchange successful command for a bunch of losers, Hmmmmm!

But then greater minds than mine are behind this strategy, it might be to get a sleeper behind enemy lines

greater minds ????? not in the current adm. ,and frankly ,I'm beginning to have doubts about the upper command of the military ;and certainly their civilian Sec Def.

Your opinion is noted, but your credentials are lacking (as are mine), so lets get more opinions

Former Bush Official Blasts GOP On Bergdahl: Bush Would Have Done The Same Thing | ThinkProgress (http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/03/3444366/former-bush-officia/)


Though Cheney told Fox News on Monday that he would not have agreed to the deal, Bellinger stressed that the Bush administration “returned something like 500 detainees from Guantanamo.” Statistics from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence show (http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/02/3443719/the-case-for-negotiating-for-bergdahls-release/) that only 6 percent (5 in total) of Guantanamo detainees released during the Obama administration have potentially engaged in militant activities. That compares with a rate of nearly 30 percent under the Bush administration.

I just point out your opinion, and the right wing talking points are full of what if's, and I get the risk, despite the safeguards, but if you let those what if's stop you from dealing with your own in an appropriate manner then the enemy wins anyway. Noman left behind doesn't say unless you are a deserter. Nor has any evidence that has come to light that this soldier's commanding officers or his comrades had any inkling there was a problem assigning him to his post that he allegedly deserted.

Now if you are saying he should be judged without due process of our law (not Taliban law), which is his right as an American soldier, then say that so I can point out to you, the same as I do Smoothy, you guys holler about your rights while you pick the rights of others, and will add that as scary and dangerous as you are of these fellows, and as tempting as it maye to throw away the key, they were never dealt with when we had them for more than a decade.

But of course we can't talk about that because they were dangerous scary men. The Taliban have done just great without them for a long time so I suggest they are just 5 of many dangerous men. And as we remove potential targets from these fellows, from THEIR country, maybe we can focus more on our own dangerous men in our own country who are killing innocents at an ever increasing rate.

As was pointed out these 5 were but a small number of dangerous guys (more than 5 hundred) released in recent years. Yeah and some went back to the fight for sure, as these may also. So to be more scared of these 5 and not the 500 before make NO SENSE!

Just saying since neither of us is charged with the responsibility of making such decisions. Plus great minds or not, they are more privy to a lot more facts than we are.

John Bellinger who ??? If it's any consolation to you ..... I'm also pissed with the Obots for dealing with Hamas as a legitimate negotiating partner ....especially after he broke his campaign pledge not to .

My position on Hamas is indistinguishable from the position of Hillary Clinton or John McCain. I said they are a terrorist organization and I’ve repeatedly condemned them. I’ve repeatedly said, and I mean what I say: since they are a terrorist organization, we should not be dealing with them until they recognize Israel, renounce terrorism, and abide by previous agreements.

Asked whether the Taliban would be inspired by the exchange to kidnap others, he laughs. “Definitely,” he says. “It’s better to kidnap one person like Bergdahl than kidnapping hundreds of useless people. It has encouraged our people. Now everybody will work hard to capture such an important bird.”
TIME - Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews (http://time.com/#2826534/bowe-bergdahl-taliban-captors/)

so now you are into inspiring the Taliban and yet nothing you do could inspire them unless it is to leave their country. I think you singularly lack the ability to inspire anyone these days. The Taliban might be a little slow, you think? It took five years for them to turn holding Bergdahl to an advantage, and yet they didn't kill him on sight, strange don't you think? What resources were tied up moving him around and guarding him?

It took five years for
them to turn holding Bergdahl to an advantage, and yet they didn't kill him on sight, strange don't you think? What resources were tied up moving him around and guarding him?

strange indeed . Unless of course they did not have to expend many resources at all ;or the information gained from his made it worthwhile.

The Taliban found Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl walking alone, acting abnormally and cursing his countrymen before they captured him in Afghanistan in 2009, two men who were Taliban commanders at the time told NBC News on Thursday.

Taliban Commanders Say They Found Bergdahl Cursing His Countrymen - NBC News (http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/bowe-bergdahl-released/taliban-commanders-say-they-found-bergdahl-cursing-his-countrymen-n123846)

He deserves the same treatment Jeffery Dahlmer got in the shower.

you have such colourful ideas

He may get it now that he is home, and subject to American law, and not Taliban justice, but I bet we can all agree the propaganda behind him being beheaded and dragged through the street of an Afghan city amid wild celebration would have been a much worse outcome, and no doubt jumped on by the same politicians who were for his release, before they were against it.

Just from a moral standpoint it seems that the message would be that no man will be left behind no matter what is the message, and was before the big flip flop by our own lawmakers, which yet again is all about politics, and pandering before principle.

another powerful message that has been established since Jefferson took on the Barbary pirates is no negotiations with terrorists.

Now I would like to see the details of this deal beyond what the Obots have released . He was being held by Haqqani Taliban ,which is based in Pakistan . He was being held in the tribal regions of Pakistan and not Afghanistan. I don't buy for one minute that the Haqqani' s would've been satisfied with the release of Afghan Taliban leaders. I wonder how much $$$$ was paid to them through our partners in Qatar ?

what's a million here or there when you have wasted billions fighting this war

They did not seek the release of a Haqqani commander in U.S. custody ;and their MO is to take hostages for ransom. Using a 3rd party cut out would give the emperor plausible deniability .

their MO is to take hostages for ransom
And how was that working out for them for the past five years?

Were there death threats hanging over his head? Villagers who found him stumbling around said he was loony tunes. Isn't it against the will of Allah to kill loony-tunes people?

Tom Joscelyn of Long War Journal reports that one of the Taliban 5 ; Khairullah Khairkhwa ,is a part of the Taliban's Supreme Shura council, an elite group of 10 leaders who reported directly to Mullah Omar. The Shura oversaw the Taliban's military and intelligence operations, as well as other activities.
Member of Taliban's elite Supreme Shura among 5 transferred to Qatar - The Long War Journal (http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/member_of_talibans_e.php#ixzz344PiI6zv)

Seems with all that evidence he could have been charged tried and convicted of something in the 12 years he was in custody.

Meanwhile, we still have a marine sitting in a Mexican jail and apparently we should be thankful. (http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-ra-maybe-we-should-thank-mexico-20140606-column.html)